What does LTS mean?
LTS stands for Long Term Support. This in turn means that LTS versions are supported longer than normal versions with security updates and bug fixes. Version 4.5 was the first LTS version and was released in January 2011. While earlier TYPO3 versions such as 4.6, 4.7, 6.0 or 6.1 are usually only supported with security updates and bug fixes for 1-1.5 years, the period for an LTS version is 3 years. After that, support can be continued with the ELTS Service can be extended by a further 4 years.
The LTS concept is also known from some Linux distributions, for example Ubuntu.
What are the benefits of an LTS version?
Users who value stability and security benefit from an LTS version. LTS is used to a large extent in the corporate environment, where the stability of the website is an important factor. Updates are usually possible without any problems and in a short time, and the website is built on a robust foundation.
Users who value the latest versions and features, on the other hand, are less likely to opt for an LTS version or will not stay with the LTS version for the full 3 years.
Why should you upgrade?
You may be wondering why you should upgrade even though your website has been running for years without any problems.
ELTS support for TYPO3 8.7 ended in March 2024, which means that bugs and security vulnerabilities that are still discovered will no longer be fixed. And this in turn can be a crucial problem for the security of your website. Websites are repeatedly exposed to attacks by hackers.
And this doesn't just affect large companies.
As many of these attacks are completely automated, even the small website of the master baker Mustermann from Buxtehude can be the target of an attack.
And if, for example, the website of an online store is unavailable for several days because it has been hacked, this can mean enormous financial damage for the operator!
Another point is the further development of web browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari. New versions of these programs are also constantly being released. The new versions bring new features, but outdated technologies are also constantly being removed. This can lead to the backend of TYPO3 no longer being usable with modern browsers at some point.
It is therefore important to always keep the software up to date.
What should I bear in mind when upgrading?
Generally speaking, an upgrade path should always be followed when upgrading. If you are currently using a version lower than 6.2, you must first upgrade to 6.2 as an intermediate step. Then upgrade to 7.6 and only then to 8.7, 9.5, 10.4, 11.5 and 12.4.
During the upgrade process, there are migration wizards in the install tool with which function and database changes are usually carried out automatically. However, these migration tools only support the upgrade from the previous main version.
Upgrading the TYPO3 system itself is usually relatively simple, but the extensions used can be a problem. Extensions that work with the previous TYPO3 version are not necessarily compatible with a current TYPO3 version.
However, if you are absolutely dependent on a particular extension that does not yet work with a current TYPO3 version, there are several options.
There may be a more modern extension that fulfills the same purpose and can easily be used as a replacement. For example, an extension for a lightbox effect for "click-enlarging" images can be easily replaced by any other extension. However, it becomes more complicated when extensions have their own data sets and this data has to be transferred to another extension.
Sometimes it would be better if you or a programmer revised the extension and made it compatible with the current TYPO3 version. This can of course be relatively time-consuming, depending on the range of functions of the extension.
TYPO3 7.6 also introduced new content elements based on fluid templates. The advantage is that the output of these content elements can be changed very easily, as the fluid templates can be edited directly. Complex TypoScript as required for css_styled_content no longer needs to be written.
A migration from css_styled_content to fluid_styled_content should be carried out with an upgrade to TYPO3 9.5 at the latest. If nothing has been changed in the output of the content elements and only TYPO3 standards are used here, this migration is also quite simple. Otherwise, adjustments may have to be made to the fluid templates of the content elements.
Migration from css_styled_content to fluid_styled_content
The change from css_styled_content to fluid_styled_content is supported by TYPO3 as well as possible. The following steps must be carried out:
- Deactivation of the extension css_styled_content
- Activation of fluid_styled_content
- Add the static templates "Content Elements (fluid_styled_content)" and "Content Elements CSS (optional)(fluid_styled_content)"
- Check in the install tool whether an upgrade wizard is to be executed.
Please note: fluid_styled_content uses other CSS classes. The CSS of the frontend may need to be adapted here.
In addition, some options from css_styled_content are no longer supported. For example, the "image effects" are no longer available. The names of some database fields have also changed. Where did the database field "section_frame" -> "frame_class". This must be taken into account if, for example, adjustments have been made via TSConfig.
SEO and readable URLs
With TYPO3 9 LTS, some features have been integrated into the TYPO3 core that previously had to be retrofitted via additional extensions.
SEO features via the new "seo" system extension
Since TYPO3 9, meta tags such as "description", "keywords", "author" etc. are automatically generated in the HTML source code if the new system extension "seo" is activated. Previously, this had to be done manually using TypoScript or additional extensions such as cs_seo. The creation of an optimized browser title and the control of search engine spiders (meta tag "robots") is now also possible directly.
Readable URLs
By default, TYPO3 generates URLs such as domain.de/index.php?id=1234. These are neither readable by humans nor do they contain keywords that are important for search engine optimization.
Up to and including TYPO3 8, readable URLs had to be created using additional extensions such as realurl or cooluri. These are no longer required since TYPO3 9. TYPO3 can automatically generate readable URLs for pages, e.g. in the form domain.com/products/product-x/
However, manual reworking is required for extensions such as "news". Here the site configuration file must be edited. However, some extensions already provide configuration examples in their documentation.
How should I perform the upgrade?
The first and most important tip: never perform the upgrade on the original site!
Always create a copy of the complete website and carry out the upgrade on this copy. After a successful upgrade, you can then continue to use the copy. We have described how to create a copy in a video tutorial.
All subsequent work is then carried out on the copy. The original website will continue to run unaffected during this time, and visitors to your website will not notice anything. We have summarized the best way to proceed with an upgrade in our general upgrade guide.
The first step, however, is a website check.
Check all extensions in use. Are there updated versions that are compatible with the current TYPO3 version? Do you use extensions that you have programmed yourself? Have extensions from the repository been modified by you or an agency? Can you or the programmer/agency adapt these extensions to a current TYPO3 version?
Uninstall and delete extensions that you no longer need. For other extensions, check in the TER whether a newer compatible version is already available. You can update these. However, be sure to read the documentation for the extensions! There are often so-called "breaking changes", i.e. changes that require manual adjustments in the templates or TypoScript, for example, or the execution of an upgrade wizard.
You can then try to replace the TYPO3 core and run the upgrade wizard. You can then update all extensions in the current TYPO3 version to the latest version, if necessary.
Upgrade by us
As our customer, you can also commission us to carry out the upgrade on your website if you do not wish to do this yourself.
However, we cannot make any statements in advance about the complexity and duration of the upgrade. This depends on the extensions used, but also on which version you want to upgrade from. For this reason, it is not possible to make any time or cost estimates in advance.
We would also carry out an upgrade check in the first step to check whether an upgrade is possible and how much working time you can expect. However, as this check itself requires a certain amount of time and effort, we are unfortunately unable to offer it free of charge.
The cost of the check carried out by us is 249.90 euros (incl. VAT). Based on the results of this check, we can make you an offer for the implementation, if an upgrade is possible.
Despite careful examination, however, we cannot guarantee that an upgrade can be carried out without complications. Should unexpected technical problems occur during the upgrade, we will contact you to clarify how to proceed.
Please note: Extensions that are not available in the TYPO3 Extension Repository (TER) or TER extensions that have been manually modified or customized are excluded from the upgrade. This means that if such extensions are in use, we will not perform an upgrade.
If you are not yet a customer, you may be interested in our free migration service.
If you have any further questions about the upgrade, simply send us a message.